With
CPM led LDF Government in power, Kerala has witnessed as many as
fifteen incidents of attacks against Dalitsin the last few weeks. In the
recent episode, two sisters and a one and half year old child were put
behind the bars for alleged attack on CPM workers!
Ideologically, communists do not believe
in caste but they certainly believe in struggle of which violence is an
integral part. This struggle is largely believed to be for the
oppressed and downtrodden. But the arrogance of power of communists in
Kerla has turned them against Dalits in Kerala. Till now, the tool of
violence was used to target RSS and BJP workers then shifted to Congress
supporting families and now it seems members of SC caste who dare to
stand against the intolerant fascist mindset of CPM are the targets.
That is why two Dalit sisters were put behind the bars in Thalassery,
Kannur District, Kerala. When Akhila and Anjana were jailed, the
former’s one and half-year-old child became a prisoner too. Why were the
daughters of INTUC leader N Rajan put in the jail? It is not a simple
case as per police records: They got a complaint from CPM that the girls
barged in their party office in Thalassery and attacked a party worker M
Shijin. This is the biggest joke Kerala has ever come across since LDF
took over last month. Even male activists of a non-CPM background cannot
enter a CPM office in a party village like Kuttimakkool, let alone two
Dalit girls with a one and half-year-old child and attack a male party
man!
Rajan had contested the last local body elections against a CPM
candidate. Since then, he says, CPM men have been teasing his daughters
calling them their caste name when they were passing by the party
office. When the girls questioned the verbal abuse, CPM men manhandled
them, he says. The same day the party men attacked his house.
The most deplorable part of the episode was the arrest of the girls for non-bailable offences. But, because of the mounting public protests, the girls got bail after few days. But, the bail and release from the jail did not put an end to the torture they have been suffering. The day both were released on bail they were invited to a channel discussion. During the debate two CPM leaders’ references pushed them to further torture. DYFI leader AN Shamseer MLA said that both girls had entered the CPM office and unleashed attacks! PP Divya, woman CPM leader and vice president of the ZillaPanchayat said, during the same discussion, both girls were public nuisance! She added that the girls constituted a “Quotation team” (a group of persons taking assignment of attacking and killing others and charging fees from the “clientele!”).
The
aforementioned references pushed them to frustration. They thought, they
have lost their self-esteem hence are unable to face the society. The
same night, Anjana, younger one, consumed tablets overdose for suicide.
She is still in the hospital. Now, reports suggest, Thalassery police
has registered cases against Shamseer and Divya for abetting the girl to
commit suicide. Divya has been infamous for her indecent FB posts
against PM NarendraModi.
BJP state president KummanamRajasekharan
has condemned the CPM role in the whole episode. The Congress leaders
also are attacking CPM for their arrogant and violent politics in Kannur
District. But, the most interesting reaction was from CM
PinarayiVijayan. He replied the media question that he did not know
about the arrest of the Dalit girls. He advised the media men to
approach the police for further information. It was too unbecoming for
him since he was holding the home portfolio also!
Media gives hints
that District SP’s report admits the failure in applying humanitarian
consideration when the girls were sent to the jail along with a child.
Now, National Women’s Right Commission and Kerala Women’s Right
Commission have collected their statements from Anjana and Akhila. The
National Scheduled Caste Commission chairman PL Punia said that the
Commission would enquire into the allegations. There would be actions
against the officers behind this atrocity whatever the positions they
may hold.
Organiser spoke to Neelakantan Master, president of Kerala
PulayaMahaSabha (KPMS) the community organisation of Dalit Pulaya
community. Thalassery incident proves that Dalits enjoy no safety and
security in the state. The allegation that two young girls went to CPM
office in a party bastion, carrying a one and half-year-old baby, is
nothing but utter nonsense. The girls’ family members had left CPM
several years before and joined Congress. But, still CPM is not ready to
‘pardon’ their ‘crime.’ The family members, especially the girls had to
suffer eve teasing by the alleged CPM men whenever they passed by party
office. Once they were at their wit’s end, they naturally protested.
CPM men, still in the hangover of the electoral victory, complained to
the police. Police registered a case against them and sent them to the
women’s jail for non-bailable offences. So, Akhila’s baby turned the
first child detenue under Pinarayi regime. This is not an isolated
incident. About fifteen such incidents have taken place in Kerala during
the last few weeks with Dalits at the receiving end.Jisha murder case
is one among them. Master’s KPMS staged ErnakulamDistrict Collectorate
siege demanding the immediate arrest of Jisha’s killer.
KPMS set a
deadline of June 24 for the arrest of the Jisha killer. And, Amirul
Islam, a migrant labourer from Assam, was arrested last week. Master
said, Abhijith (27) a Dalit from Vaikkom, KottayamDistrict, was killed
recently; despite KPMS’ strong protests and demonstrations, no police
action so far. Dalit issues matter only if it is in North India. We have
seen this dirty trick in RohithVemulacase. But, no justice for Abhijith
or Anjana and Akhila. KPMS has asked their 64 taluk unions in all 14
revenue districts to conduct torch bearing demonstrations.
KPMS
leader states that they are not satisfied with the arrest of Amirul
Islam in Jisha case. Police should reveal who are behind him. There were
already allegations against Congress leader, former minister and UDF
liaison committee member PPThankachan. He had immediately denied the
charges. Master suspects a nexus between CPM and Congress in this
regard. He alleged that former CPM MLA Saju Paul is the cousin of
Thakachan, hence the case is being hushed up. He blamed both UDF and LDF
for denying the homeless a plot of land and a house. Dalit issue is a
social one. They should be handled properly and assured legal
protection. There should be systems to trace criminals from among the
migrant labour force. Master concluded that Government should apologise
to Anjana and Akhil for the injustice they had to counter.
It is
evident that that both Congress-led UDF and CPM-led LDF are the two
sides of the same coin in matters concerning Dalits. Both want to keep
them as vote-banks, and that is it. Jisha murder took place during
Oommen Chandy’s UDF regime. People of Kerala know what sort of cool
approach they took towards that murder.
CPM attacks Dalit Family
In another incident of CPM attack
against Dalits, a mother and her two children were injured in
Ambalappuzha, Alappuzha District on June 20. Puthuvayal Omana (50), her
sons Mahesh, Dhanesh and their friend Kannan are the injured and they
have been admitted to Vandanam Medical College Hospital. The mother and
children came under attack while they were attending a house warming
ceremony. The assailants were attacking them by shouting, “What do
Dalits have to do here?”. They dragged Mahesh and Dhanesh out of the
house and brutally thrashed. Omana was reportedly attacked while she was
trying to save her children. Among the attacked, Dhanesh is an RSS
Swayamsevak. In this area, CPM goons have been persistently attacking
their political opponents for the last few months. Despite threatening
of CPM, several Communist party workers and sympathisers have joined
BJP that provoked CPM and led to resort to violence as usual.
By T Satisan, Kochi
Courtesy: Organiser
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